Should this guy have received jail time?

There was a guy in Ohio that was sentenced to 29 days in jail after being taped mocking a girl with cerebral palsy. The mom posted on FB and filed a complaint to the DA; the DA then filed charges and dude pled no contest.

Now, mocking a crippled kid is f-d up. What’s even worse is the example he’s setting for the kid. But jailtime in this instance is ridiculous. By posting the video on YT, this guy will be shamed and embarrassed for the rest of his life. And it seemed like the DA reached on the charges and the only reason dude pled was because he probably could not afford to fight it.

13 Answers

If he couldn’t afford an attorney, he would have an attorney appointed to represent him. But let’s be honest. “Bullying” is the word of the hour. That is what this is all about. It should have been handled out of court with someone kicking Mr. Bailey’s ass into the ground in private and not wasting the court’s time with such silliness and giving publicity to another case of “bullying.” He isn’t a bully. He’s a name I won’t say in polite company.

Aggravated Menacing? Seriously? The guy is a disgrace to human beings and deserves a beating for what he did, but ignorance is not a crime.

If we stuck everyone stupid in jail when they were mean to someone or made some half-baked threat, our jails would be overflowing with offenders. I don’t get how his “menacing” isn’t protected under the First Amendment.

What he did was wrong, but I disagree that it should’ve been a legal issue.

As a side note, I’d like to point out that the woman recording called him a “fucktard.” Can we say hypocrite?

I thought the prisons were already overcrowded, now people are being sent to jail for name calling or even threatening comments. A guy like that should be sent to the sheriff in Arizona, bet he would think twice before shooting off his mouth next time. I am a firm believer in punishment but jail (unless in Arizona) isn’t what this guy needs.

He is definitely a jerk, but jail time seems extreme for being mean and making fun of a little girl.
I do wonder what will happen when he gets out of jail. Will he be even a bigger jackass to the family? They should move. I know how hard that may be, but I would move mountains if I had a little girl in that position with a bully living next door.

I saw the article earlier today and I was appalled that they actually gave the man jail time for this.

Is he a terrible person for doing what he did? Absolutely, without a doubt. Should he be sentenced to time in jail because of it? Not so much. Sure, he needs to be taught a lesson, but I don’t think that jail time is the correct punishment for this offense.

Some towns have local laws against bullying and 29 days in jail is not that big a deal. He’ll definitely think twice before doing it again and may warn similarly inclined kids not to do that. Our laws can, indeed, be ridiculous.

He went to jail because he threatened to choke the mother of the little girl, “until she stopped twitching”. That’s what the aggravated menacing charge was for, and that’s what brings jail time with it. The charge regarding the mocking was a lessor charge and he wouldn’t have been jailed for that alone. In his plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to both charges.

I don’t get why people think beating this person is better than locking him up. I don’t think either is the answer. I think being in jail won’t change his mind about why what he did was wrong. Someone in his life that he cares for should express how deeply disappointed they are in him, he should be made to apologize to that entire family and go get sensitivity training and do community service within the disabled community.